The Raid of a Lifetime
by Nymphadora Black
Summary: Hermione Granger has everything going for her: she's strong, beautiful, and Europe's top Tomb Raider. But she's been put on the toughest mission yet--Severus Snape
1. Default Chapter

Chapter One: 

Capture The Sphinx, Get Sent To Hell

*

            Egypt. Home to some of the worlds most challenging and dangerous tombs, killer of many Tomb Raiders that had dared to reach the riches and glory that lay within their depths. The triggers and traps had been the end of some of the most famous Raiders, but never were they a challenge for one woman.

            Hermione Granger stood, at twenty three years old, in the heart of one of the more famous tombs; caramel hair tied back; clothed in her signature skin-tight black jeans, with harness like bands around the upper half of each thigh, securing a gun holster to each; high-heeled brown boots on her feet; a tight red tank top hugging her upper curves. A gold plated gun resided in each hand, pointing directly at a huge stone and marble sphinx.

"Jack better give me raise for this."

            She shot out the ruby eyes of the sphinx, and immediately there were a number of ear-splitting roars; Hermione stared as a lion and a tiger climbed out of each cracked eye.

"Oh not _again,_" she surveyed the two advancing animals with contemplation.

            _This is one of those days I'm glad there's something called magic, Hermione thought, replacing her guns in their holsters and pulling her wand out from her back pocket._

"_Stupefy!_"

            The lion and tiger froze in mid-air and fell to the ground with a 'thump'. Hermione stuck her wand back into her pocket and walked up to a solid marble podium. On it sat pure gold, hand-size sphinx with emerald eyes; she took it off its podium and bolted.

                                                                        *

"Good work in Egypt. That gold sphinx is exactly what we need for the Brazil case," Jack Kilborne said to Hermione.

            She had just apparated from the outside of the tomb to her boss's office located in the Tomb Raiding area of Aurors, where he had been waiting for her.

"You owe me huge. It sucked trying to get out of there," she said, pulling her shirt down slightly.

"Yes, yes, I do, but not now! I have a new case for you," Jack said, pulling out a navy file folder, "Headmaster Dumbledore and his Deputy Headmistress seemed to have stumbled upon the diary of Salazar Slytherin. In it contains the details of an underground tomb that may be his final resting place."

"And you want me to go and check it out," Hermione sighed.

"Not so much. I _do _want you to investigate it, but I want you to use the Hogwarts library to find out as much as you can about Slytherin. Use the Head of Slytherin to dig deeper into his past."

"Who? Slytherin's, or the old bat that's the Head of House?" Hermione replied sarcastically, but thoroughly outraged. He was actually suggesting she talk to Severus Snape? He was the one who turned her off to a career in Potion making, with his scathing remarks and horrible temper.

"Watch it," Jack warned, flipping through the file.

"And what do you propose I do when the students get back into school? I think they'd notice if a Tomb Raider was wandering about the school," she rolled her eyes, putting her hands on her hips. Never a good sign.

"You're going to teach them," said Jack simply.

"I'm going to _what, _excuse me?" Hermione sputtered, angry patches of color rising on her pretty face.

"Teach them. The Headmaster has arranged that a Tomb Raiding course will be available to fifth years and above. It'll be one of their course options, if they so choose to take it," he said, avoiding her furious gaze.

"And if I refuse?" she asked, glaring daggers.

"Then I'll have to fire you."

 "You can't fire her. She's the top Tomb Raider in Europe," Nymphadora Tonks said, sticking her head in the office doorway, "So I'd suggest you think of something else. And Albus Dumbledore wants a word," she added to Jack, before retreating.

"Thanks, Tonks," Hermione said, still glaring at her employer. 

"Well, this isn't an option. You're going," Jack said, in a final sort of way.

"_Fine. _But I get to take my bike." Hermione said, the patches in her face retreating to leave it its tan color again.

"Bike granted. And dress appropriately," Jack added, staring at her outfit.

"This _is _appropriate."

                                                                        *

            Hermione folded a pair of dark jeans and stuck them into her suitcase, all the while listening to Ginny Weasley chatter away.

"It's cool, really, that you get to go back. I mean, Harry's there, and me, so it won't be like you don't know anyone. Plus, all of the Professors that you had are still there," she said, "So, tell me, how did the last Raid go?"

"Alright," she said, closing the suitcase, "Stunned a couple of lions-maybe one was a tiger-and the sphinx was easy to handle. How's Draco?"

            Ginny had married Draco Malfoy when she had graduated from Hogwarts. She had saved him from the Imperius Curse laid upon him by his father when he was a year old; he was under the influence and was expected to join Voldemort and kill the line of Weasleys fighting against the Death Eaters.

"He's fine. Well, he's on tour with the Holyhead Harpies, so I haven't gotten a chance to see him," Ginny replied, with a bit of a sigh.

"This is his last season, isn't it?" Hermione asked, staring at Ginny's swollen belly.

"Yup!" Ginny sounded a great deal happier now, "and not a moment too soon."

            Hermione said nothing. Almost all of her friends were married, or they were in serious relationships. Ron had Lavender Brown; Harry was dating a woman called Laura Bianca; and Ginny, of course, was married to Draco; Luna was married to Zacharias Smith. Hermione had her share of boyfriends, of course, but none of them had the intellectual patience for her; she was quite sure it had to do with her occupation and wicked temper. 

"Mmm hmm," she murmured.  

"Oh, Hermione, I'm sure you'll find someone," Ginny paused in the levitating of Hermione's glass case over, which was full of all the guns, knives, and other weapons she owned to pack into a special leather suitcase.

"Yeah," Hermione trailed off, and opened the leather case. 

            Inside were an assortment of pockets and slots of which to put the weapons in. Hermione took out two machetes and shrunk them to the size of a knife, then slid them into their respective slots.

"Be careful with that," she warned, as Ginny pulled out a spear, engraved with rune markings in what looked to be Greek. The handle shaft was solid gold, and the arrowhead was platinum silver.

"What on _earth _do you need this for?" Ginny asked, running her fingers over the markings.

"Got it on a Raid in Greece," Hermione replied, strapping her two custom made bands around each thigh and storing her favorite gold-plated guns in the holsters, "I stole it from the tomb."

            Ginny shook her head and shrunk the spear, then stored it in the case. Hermione, mean while, was tucking a shrunken bazooka into a tightly leather bound pocket and casting a locking spell over the latch.

"Gin, when're you going on maternity leave?" Hermione asked, pulling out a rifle and putting it in the case.

"I don't really have to. Poppy said after the baby's born I should take some time off, but before I'm okay," she replied. Hermione nodded, examining the revolver in her hand

"Okay, remind me why you need all this stuff," Ginny said, glancing down at the two top-of-the-line daggers she was holding.

"I'm not sure what exactly is in the so-called 'chamber' that I'm supposed to be Raiding, so I have to bring everything. Besides, if I'm moving to Hogwarts, do you really think I would leave some of the world's most dangerous weapons in a flat?" Hermione replied, grabbing yet another rifle, this one with a laser that could slice through the toughest of materials, and shrinking it.

"Well, no, but--what the _hell _is this?"

            Ginny held up a gold handled sword, encrusted with emeralds, rubies, diamonds, and sapphires that formed a pattern; she guessed it was hieroglyphics.

"A sword. Honestly, Ginny, I thought you were smarter than that," Hermione said, rather sarcastically.

"I _meant-_where did you get it? It's beautiful!"

"I got it on a Raid in Egypt. I think it belonged to a Pharaoh once, but I'm not sure. Anyway, this tribe leader gave it to me in thanks," she replied, pulling out a smooth, mahogany pole, attached to it a thick silver chain and a ball of spikes.

"Well, you'll _definitely _be needing that," Ginny said, indicating the pole.

"You bet!"

            Hermione shrunk the pole and, with a flourish, shut the case and locked it.

"I'll be seeing you back at Hogwarts soon, I expect," Hermione said, giving Ginny a hug.

"Of course, Miss.Tough Tomb Raider," she laughed, releasing her.

"Well," Hermione slipped in a dark pair of sunglasses and picked up her suitcases, "Cójale más adelante, baby!"

            She apparated out of the flat, leaving a laughing Ginny behind.

A/N: This idea popped into my head while I was watching—go figure—_Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, and I thought it would be cool to do a fic like this. It'll eventually turn into a Hermione/Severus fic, with a little Minerva/Albus thrown in there for good measure. The rating's for some swearing, a whole lot of fighting and the excessive use of weapons. Anyway, please tell me if I should continue! Review!_


	2. Arriving To Her Worst Nightmare

            A/N: Rating for the mention of rape.

            Severus Snape stormed up to Albus Dumbledore's office, having just had a rather nasty encounter with Albus's wife.

"Albus!" Severus snapped, rapping his knuckles on the wooden door.

"Come in."

            He pushed open the door, not glancing up at the man he was sure was sitting at his desk, up to his eyes in paper work.

"Did you forget your anniversary? Because Minerva's being absolutely _horrible-_" 

"My, my, Professor Snape. I was wondering when I would have the pleasure of running into you," a familiar voice carried to his ears, but much too silky and mature to be _her_- the bossy, Gryffindor know-it-all he had only loathed because all of his colleagues adored her.

             Severus looked up. A beautiful woman stood before him, clad in black shorts and a red tank top, two harness-like bands around each thigh, holding a gun holster on each; she looked at him over one shoulder, caramel hair framing her face and flowing down her back. A slow smile spread over her pretty face.

"And you are-?" he asked, the usual biting and sarcastic tone in his voice.

"Ah! It seems a re-introduction is in order!" Albus said, standing up as the woman turned around.

"Severus, meet Professor Hermione Granger, our new Tomb Raiding instructor."

            Hermione looked at the slightly shocked Severus, who regained his composure in a matter of seconds and smirked at her.

"I was not aware we had a Tomb Raiding course," he said, sneering, "It does not sound terribly important to our curriculum."

"Well, maybe you will consider it important, now that I'm here," Hermione replied, turning back to Albus.

"Hermione, I think I've told you all you need to know. The wing you'll be teaching-and living, I might add-are located three corridors off the entrance to Gryffindor Tower. Minerva is only one corridor over," Albus said, "Now, if you two don't mind, I need to find my wife."

"Of course, Headmaster. Thank you," Hermione shook Albus's hand and turned to leave.

"Headmaster," Severus inclined his head and followed Hermione out.

"So," he said, once they were outside the stone griffin. "This is where your brains have landed you. _Tomb Raiding._" He spat out the last two words with distain.

"Yes, it has. And I don't see why it is any of your business," Hermione said evenly, turning towards the marble staircase.

"I never said it was. But it seems you have taken on such an _important _job," he sneered.

"It does not matter what you think," she said coolly, heading down the stairs to a black dirt bike she always used; she had received it from Tonks and Ginny on her twenty first birthday, and she had never gone on a mission without it. This was no exception. "My job is more dangerous than yours could ever be."

"Don't you talk to me about dangerous," Severus hissed, watching as she turned slowly to face him. "You don't know what danger, or pain, for that matter, is."

"Oh really," she took a few steps toward him, "then you try being raped by your University Professor. You try being friends with Harry Potter, under constant watch, because there was the off chance a Death Eater could waltz in and blow you to bits. You try taking a bullet to the chest by the same Professor that tried to kill you not long after you started one of the most dangerous jobs in the Ministry. Then, and only then, can you talk to me about pain."

            She roared the engine in the bike to life and looked at him.

"Good day, Professor Snape." She said, and sped up the marble staircase, shouting a greeting to Minerva McGonagall as she flew by.

"That woman," Severus seethed, "will be my undoing."

"Come now, Severus. She's wise beyond her years," Minerva said, reaching the bottom of the staircase and approaching him.

            He snorted.

"Yes, I'm sure she is. But I must wonder about her mental health," Severus glanced at Minerva's now passive face.

"Give her a chance, Severus. You may learn a lot," Minerva said.

"I'm going to bed. I think I've had enough of women for today."

                                                                        *

            Hermione looked around her new quarters. The walls were stone, the floor concrete, the bed a canopy with beige hangings and sheets. She put down her suitcases and whipped out her wand, conjuring two paint cans.

"Hermione, what on earth are you doing?"

            Harry Potter stood in the doorway, at least a head taller than her, and his bespectacled green eyes sparkling as he surveyed one of his best friends.

"Harry!" she ran and flew into his arms, giving him a friendly embrace. 

            She hadn't seen Harry in six months; the Raid in Egypt had taken at least that long to do.

"Hey, 'Mione!" he returned the hug and stepped back, "so, back to my question. What're you up to?"

"This room _sucks,_" she said, grinning and popping open the lid of a paint can, "so I decided I'm gonna paint it."

"Need some help?" Minerva asked, sticking her head in the doorway. 

"Actually, I was meaning to talk to you," Harry said to Minerva.

"Of course, come on, I need some coffee," Minerva said, and bid Hermione fare well. Harry followed her.

            Hermione turned to the stone wall and changed it to drywall, then conjured a roller to dip itself into the paint can. The dark red rolled smoothly onto the walls.

                                                                        *

"Alright, alright, let's get this started so Rolanda can get back to the Quidditch Pitch," Albus said, a week later at the last staff meeting before classes resumed. But it for Hermione, it was her first staff meeting. 

            Everyone laughed. Rolanda glared.

"I'm sure you've all met Hermione Granger, our new Tomb Raiding instructor. Now Hermione is doing research for myself and Jack Kilborne on Salazar Slytherin. We're attempting to find Slytherin's final resting place, so if _anyone _knows anything about Salazar Slytherin, come to her at once.

            "With that aside, I have only to say that I sincerely hope you have your lesson plans finished! You can go!" 

            Albus beckoned to Hermione as she stood up to leave, an intense relief in her stomach to have gotten done with the shortest staff meeting of the century.

"Is something wrong, Headmaster?" she asked, as the some of the staff filtered out and some sat down around the staff room fire place.

"No, no. I would just like to warn you about your first class tomorrow," Albus said, leading her over to a couch, "with the fifth-year Gyffindors and Slytherins. Watch out for a boy named Adrian Dakota, from Slytherin. He is rather like what Draco Malfoy used to be."

            Hermione nodded.

"Thank you," she said, smiling at him.

"Good night, Hermione. Good luck tomorrow,"

            Hermione stood up and left, intending to get a good night sleep-something she hadn't had in quite a long time.

A/N: I know, it's short, and slow, but it'll pick up in the next chapter! I promise. Also, I'll probably be updating once every three to four days; please read and review! 


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